Combined road signal and utility box



J. E. LE DUC COMBINED ROAD SIGNAL AND UTILITY BOX Aug. l, 1950 Filed April 29, 1947 Patented Aug. l, 1 950 2,517,119 j oor/mman noAD SIGNAL AND UTILITY Box `loseph Edouard Le Duc, Mount Royal, Quebec,

Canada, assignor of twenty-rive per cent to Leonard Lemieux and twenty-five per cent to Rodolphe Cote, bothy of Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application April 29, 1947, serial No. 744,761

This invention relates to a combined road signal and utility box.

The devi-ce of the present invention is primarily a tool kit cr tool-containing box, but it also in cludes a means, conveniently carried on the un- 1 derside of the tool kit closure or lid, for projecting light rays through a window, the lid being adapted to be releasably locked in an upstanding position so that such lidwill serve as the signalling instrumentality.

The objects of the invention, generally, are to provide a new and very useful device which includes a tool kit and a signalling device, the device being put to use when the tool kit is laid upon the road or adjacent to the road, preparatory to eiecting repairs to a stopped or stalled car on the highway.

A specific object of the invention iS to provide in such device collapsible and folding tool-reefiving compartments which are compactly held within the device or box but may be swung out of the device to hang alo-ng e, wall of the box, after the closure has been raised into upstanding position.

Another specific object of the invention is to So form the lid and lid-receiving opening in the top wall as to enable the lid to be removably held securely in an upstanding position.

Another specic object of the invention is to provide a means on the underside of the closure removably holding a suitable lighting means, such asa standard ilashlight.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various gures:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a device made according to the invention, in closed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the device, in opened or operative position;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device or box in set up position, shown partly in section;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the box cover panel in set up position;

Figin'e 6 is a perspective view of the panel when used as a warning signal suspended from the end of, say, a pipe projecting from the back of a vehicle;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary, vertical section of the panel, with flashlight attached for night illumination;

Figure 8 shows the modied flashlight supporting arrangement; and,

1 Claim. (Cl. ITT-329) Figure 9 is a transverse section on line 3 9 in Figure 5. i i i Referring now by numerals to the drawings, ID shows an elongated box, of which Il are the side vertical walls and I2 the top wall. The top wall is formed with an elongated opening I3, preferab`y substantially lozenge in shape. The opening is provided `with laterally extending portions lll at the smaller end of the opening, these por,w tions in elect forming notches through the top walll2. .i t

i5 is the lid or closure for the opening,the lid conveniently resting upon shoulders lli formed by recessing the end walls il, as best shown in Figure 4. The lid is provided at one endwith suitab`e leather Straps I8 adapted to extend beyond the adjacent end of the box to be bent down and removably fastened to suitable buttons I9 (see Figures 1 and 4).

The box is adapted. to hold a number of tools and other objects. The tools, which usually are wrenches of several types, pliers, screw drivers.' bolts and the like, are conveniently stored in flexible or collapsible tool-receiving containers or pouches 2B formed to be laid one upon the other, when within the box (as best shown in Figure 3). The pouch is formed from a rectangularpiece of suitable fabricsay strong duckwhich is folded upon itself and Secured along the outer` edges of the two folds and adjacent the upper edge of the side wall, also as best seen in Figure 3. The pouches can thus be lifted out of the box, that is, swung on their outer edges, to be hung in front of the side vertical walls. The pouches are so sized that they will extend substantially across the width of the box, so that two such pouches will have appreciable capacity while allowing space thereunder for storing other tools such as a jack 22, a handle 23 therefor, tire tools 24 and others.

In order to facilitate the task of moving the tool box over the road,` as from the trunk compartment to a front wheel, for instance, a, roller 26 is journailed at the rear end of the box.

Preferably, a suitable reflector 2l is suitably secured to the outer face of the rear wall.

The lid l5 carries on its upper face a plate 29 of suitable material on which letters spelling Danger are applied as by luminous paint or the like, the letters acting as so many reilectors, or vice versa.

`Adjacent the top of the lid I5 is a window or opening 3U in register with an opening 3l made through the plate 29.

The means used for projecting light rays through the window 30 may be as shown in Figures '7 and 9. Thus, a standard flashlight 33 is supported in upstanding position upon a bracket 34 which includes a horizontal member 35 formed with an opening in register with the longitudinal axis of the ashlight, and a vertical member 35 formed with laterally extending portions adapted to be slidably received in a suitable guide member 31 secured to the underside of the lid. The ashlight is held in position as by a more or less cone-shaped sleeve 39 engaging the bell-shaped end of the flashlight and formed with a marginal flange 4B which is received into a pair of grooved members or guidesl 4| secured to the horizontal member 35 of the bracket `34. Mounted at one end to the bracket 37 is a mirror 42. Preferably, the mirror is pivotally supported to the bracket as at 43.

If preferred, the ashlight may be of the standard elbow type. Such flashlight, 33a, may be removably secured to the lid as by a substantially cone-shaped sleeve 44 formed with a marginal ange 45 adapted to be received into grooved members 46 secured to the underside of the lid, as best seen in Figure 8.

Preferably, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, a coloured (red) glass or lens 48 is positioned behind the window 3D.

Obviously, the underside of the lid may be utilized to hold objects useful when travelling, as for instance, first-aid kits 49, ares 59 and a flag 5|.

4 What I claim is: In a, road signal unit, a box, a lid adapted to be held in upstanding position above the box, said lid having an aperture therethrough, a coloured lens closing said aperture, a bracket extending at right angles to the plane of the lid, said bracket having an opening therethroegh in alignment with the aperture of the lid, and having guides on either side of said opening, a fiashlight formed with a bell-shaped end, and a substantially cone-shaped sleeve adapted to engage said bell-shaped end of the ashlight and formed with a marginal flange removably and sldably received into said grooves and holding said flashlight in upstanding` position, the bell-shaped end of the latter being in alignment with the coloured lens.

JOSEPH EDOUARD LE DUC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,800,186 Shriver Apr. '7, 1931 1,951,431 Meehan Mar. 20, 1934 2,092,251 Sensiba et al May 26, 1935 2,194,818 Book Mar. 26, 1940 2,199,990 Godfrey et al. May '7, 1940 2,237,536 Wells Apr. 8, 1941 

